A perfect afternoon

The weather was ideal on Friday afternoon. There was a chill in the air, but the sun warmed my skin enough that I wasn't cold. We walked to Publix for something mundane, I think is was dishwasher soap (we had run out on Thanksgiving, of all days!). In the park across the street, a group of teenagers had a game of touch football going.

On a whim, David and I bought some gatorade, along with sunflower seeds and pistacchios. We found a patch of grass, determined to enjoy the sunshine. The grass was soft and the damp earth cool. I cracked the sunflower seed hulls in my teeth and spit them into the grass. Eating sunflower seeds always brings me back 15 years, when I used to go to the Little League field and watch my brother play baseball. My mom and I kept the scorebook for my dad, who coached the team. We meticulously recorded each at-bat with the appropriate codes. I always loved collecting data.

I watched the teens running plays, a few girls climbing a tree, boys teasing each other. I was jealous, they looked so carefree. It's funny, as an adult, even in moments of happiness, there are nagging worries lurking in the back of my mind, trying to claw their way to the surface.

But this afternoon my worries were staying out of sight. David and I had on of those conversations that last hours, meandering from topic to topic, laughter evolving into debate. One of the meaning-of-life conversations. I tore blades of grass into tiny pieces, and brushed ant off of my arms.

Eventually the sun was casting deep shadows. Time to walk back home. What a perfect afternoon.